Collapsible chicken-coop.



R. E. LAIDLEY.

COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN COOP.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 16. 1901.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

o inn er ROBERT EDWARD LAIDLEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN-COOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 16, 1907. Serial No. 406,728.

To all whom it may concern: I Beit known that I, ROBERT EDWARD LAID- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.Louis, Missouri, have invented acertain I new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Chicken-Coops, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chickencoop constructed in accordance with mymvention; F1g.2 1s a perspective vlew of,

the coop collapsed; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken through one of the'sides of the coop; and Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view for the purpose of illustrating the hinged connection between the ends and the floor of the coop and showing how the ends are folded inwardly. p

This invention relates to collapsible crates, and has for its object to provide a coop of simple construction that can be used for shipping chickens, said coop being so constructed that it can be colla sed after it arrives at its destination, and t us enable it to be returned to the shipper at a low freight classification.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the floor of the coop which is preferably.

composed of boards he together by cross bars l, and B and C designate, respectively, the sides and ends of. the coop. The sides consist of slats 2 that are fastened to standards 3 and the ends also consist of slats 4 fastened to standards 5. The sidesB are connected to the floor by hinges 6 secured to the floor and to the inside faces of the lower ends of the standards 3 so that the sides can swing inwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 and thus lie on the floor. The ends C are also hinged to the floor by means of hinges 7 secured to the lower ends of the standards 5 and to a bar 8 or blocks fastened to the upper side of the 11 that embrace or overlap the ends 0 of the coop'when the coop is not collapsed. The top is connected to the ends by links 12 fastened to the standards5 of the ends, and hasps 13 are secured tothe top and cooperate with eyes or staples 14 on the sides so that pins 15 can be inserted in said staples to retain the sides in an u right position. I prefer to use pins of the rind shown in Fig.

7 3, each of said pins having lugs 15 that prevent the pin from being displaced from the guide 16 on the hasp in which it is mounted but permitting the pin to be raised and lowered to enter the staple or eye 14 on the side of the coop.

When the coop is being used for transporting chickens the parts of the coop will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, the sides B holding the ends 0 in upright position and the top D retaining the sides in upright position by means of the pins 15 which engage the eyes or staples 14 on the sides. The end pieces or flanges 11 on the to which embrace or overlap the ends 0 of the coop overcome any tendency of said ends to.

move outwardly and the links 12 perform the same function and also impart rigidity to the ends C.

After the coophas arrived at its destination one of the sides is dro ped and the chickens are removed and bot sides B are then swung inwardly so that they will lie on the Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

floor A, the pins.15 being removed to permit the sides to swing inwardly. The ends C are then folded inwardly over the sides B which lie on the floor, thus causingthe top D to drop so that the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 2, the top being locked to the floor of the coop by means of the pins 15 which are inserted in eyes or staples 17 on the floor. While I have herein stated that the sides are first folded inwardly and the ends thereafter folded inwardly upon the sides, it will, of course, be understood that the ends and sides could be so connected or hinged to the floor that the ends would be moved inwardly first and the sides then folded inwardly upon the ends, the top of course being connected to the sides instead of to the ends as herein shown.

A coop of this construction comprises few parts and is of very simple construction so that it can be manufactured at a low cost,

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible chicken-coop comprising a floor, sides formed of slats and uprights, hinges connected to the inside faces of said uprights and to the floor in such a manner that the sides will fold inwardly, strips or blocks connected to the end portions of the floor, ends connected to said strips or blocks by means of hinges so that said ends can fold inwardly over the sides, a top formed of slats and cross ieces, links connected to said top and to t e ends of the coop, flanges on the top which overlap the ends of the coop, hasps on the top which receive eyes or staples on the sides of the coop, movable pins mounted in guides on said hasps l'or cooperating with said staples to connect the sides and top together, and lugs on said pins which prevent them from being displaced from the guides on said hasps; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this fourteenth day of December 1907.

ROBERT EDVLXHD LAIDIJEY. Witnesses:

VVELLs L. CHURCH,

GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

